If you’re thinking about remodeling the storefront of your business, there has likely been some kind of event that has pushed you to making this decision. Whether you need more space, want to make better use of the space you have, have gotten negative customer feedback or anything else, choosing to remodel your business space can be hugely beneficial or a huge setback depending on how well you execute your plan.
One area that many businesses neglect to think about when beginning a remodel is how to spin this news from a marketing perspective. If your customers are going to be affected by this decision—which they will be—you have to think about how to make this remodel still work for your business, your customers, and your bottom line. To help with this, here are three marketing ideas to think about when planning your business’s store remodel.
Interior Flow of Traffic
With the interior of your store now being a construction zone, it’s vital to understand how your business will continue to function despite the mess. According to Bridgette Austin, a contributor to Intuit QuickBooks, part of your marketing plan should involve how you plan to have your customers move throughout your store and how you imagine communicating this to them.
Consider where most of your customers stop and spend time or walk through regularly. If this area will be under construction, you have to create new paths for them to take, including new marketing materials that will line the way for them. Don’t forget that you can continue to market to those already in your store during a remodel, and placing marketing materials around your flow of traffic is a great way to do this.
Keeping Your Existing Customers Happy
According to a study done by Monash University and reported on by Chad Brooks of Business News Daily, following a business remodel, sales will go up by 44 percent with new customers but only 7 to 10 percent with existing customers. As a business owner, you should be asking yourself how to make that 7 to 10 percent a larger number.
One idea is to focus your marketing more heavily on your existing customers throughout your remodel. You may want to offer them specific incentives to visit the store during the remodel or to come back after the remodel is completed. Because remodels often help customers to feel like they’re getting higher quality, you may come to find that your existing customers will spend even more during their visits now.
How Your Contractor Can Help
When picking a contractor to work with for your remodel, Jason Rueger, a contributor to FitSmallBusiness.com, shares that although the cheapest option isn’t always the best option for your business, you should also only pay more if you’re getting a decent amount more for your money, like guarantees that the construction and the crew won’t interfere with your day-to-day business. By choosing a contractor you can trust to keep the mess minimal and the customer inconvenience low, you will have a much easier time marketing your remodel to your new and existing customers.
To have the most successful business remodel possible, use the tips mentioned above to ensure you’ve covered all your bases, including how you plan to change up your marketing game during this stressful time.
